Apparatus for tapping mains



(N10 Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 1.

i- A. P. SMITH. i APPARATUS POB. TAPPING MAINS.

Rm l 70 Y ATTY'S.

(No Model.) 5 3 sheenssheet 2. A. P. SMITH. APPARATUS FOR TAPPING MAINS.

Patented Oct. 3, 1893.

IIIIIIILI MM ATTY'S. I

3 Sheetsf-Sheet- 3.

(No Model.) Y i A. P. SMITH.

APPARATUS POR TAPPING MAINS- No. 505,963. Patented Oct. 3,1893.

31j gg. 10,

l piu-ma BY )J70/e@ VZLAATTYS.

NITED STATES PATENT FFIC ANTHONY P. SMITH, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR TAPPING MAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Irietters Patent No. 505,963, dated October 3, 1893.

Application filed April 9, 1890. Serial No. 347,170. (No model.) Patented in England May 2, 1890. No. 6,810, and in Canada October 21, 1892, No. 40,770.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY P. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Tapping Mains, (for which I have obtained a British patent, No. 6,810, dated May 2, 1890, and Oanadian patent, No. 40,770, dated October 21, 1892;) and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters. and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements for tapping and making branch connections 4in water and other main pipes, and is more particularly an improvement on the apparatus shown and described by me in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me January 15, 1889, No. 396,177, and January 21, 1890, No. 419,974.

The object of the present improvements is to secure greater efficiency in machines of the` class referred to, to secure increased convenience, to render the machine more durable, and to obtain other advantages and results some of which will be referred to more particularly in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the arrangements and combinations of parts all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like letters and numerals indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved drilling and tapping apparatus, partly in section. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the drilling and tapping mechanisms taken on line w, Fig. 1. Fig. 2a, is a detail view showing the tapping mechanism as provided with two pinions. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a cutter cylinder and its teeth, in section, the section line being at w, Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the cutter cylinder and inserted teeth and showing openingsfor removing the teeth. Fig. 5 is an end view and Fig. 6 a side view of acertain intermediate coupling pipe or connection in detail. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line y, of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a-section on line z, Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail of a disk-cutting tooth to be inserted in the cylinder. Fig. 10 is a section on line w, Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a section showing a modification of construction in which two pins or wedges are employed in lieu of one.

In said drawings, A represents a main water or gas pipe to be tapped to admit of a iow into a branch connection. upper section of a sleeve secured upon said pipe or main and provided with a hub, B', within which is secured a bran ch pipe section C. D is the lower or cooperating section of the sleeve on said main and F are locking clamps for holding the two projections of the sleeve firmly together as shown in Fig. l. They may be held together by any other desirable means.

G is an ordinary valve or gate receptacle `made integral with the branch pipe, C, in

which an ordinary Valve or gate is arranged B indicates thel to operate as described in my prior patents referred to.

I indicates packing inserted between the sectional sleeve and the main.

On the branch pipe, C, is formed a flange, C2, to which is secured the tapping apparatus when the base of the latter corresponds in size with said flange. Should one of said parts, however, be larger than the other, as

-in the case illustrated in the drawings, I insert, between the two, a separate and independent coupling pipe or connection, H,shown in Figs. 1,2, 5 and 6,0ne end of which is made to correspond in size with said flange and the other with said base. By'means of such separate and independent coupling connection, I am enabled to use the same tapping appa*- ratus in connection with branch pipes ot' different sizes with facility and economy. The

parts may be secured bybolts as shown, or other appropriate means.

In the tapping mechanisms, a represents the lower part of a frame or holding support with a base flange, d', for securing it, by bolts or otherwise to branch pipe, C, or its intermediate coupling connection, H. From this lower portion extend vertical supports, o2, holding the top, a3, of the frame, the parts a,

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a', 0,2, being made integral, by preference, and the parts a, a3, being threaded as will be hereinafter set forth.

Within the hole, a4, is fitted and adjusted a cutter shaft, b, to which is secured the cutter, c, and central drill d. The central drill is secured in axial line with the shaft, the latter being socketed to receive said drill in the ordinary manner and provided with screw threads to receive the cutter, c; said cutter may be secured to the shaft against turning by any suitable means. The cutter consists of a hollow cylindrical body portion, havingat one end a head, integral, by preference',

with the cylindrical portion and centrally perforated and threaded to enable said head to be screwed upon the cutter shaft. Thelower, or opposite, edge' of the cylinder is notched or socketed, as at e, Figs. 3 and` 4^, and into` the sockets are driven metal-cutting teeth, e,V formed and adapted to cutv the: cast-iron and cylindrical or curved sides of the waterorgas main'. These 'teeth are independent of and -removable from the cylinder, are tapered sharply back at'theilower edgeso as to give clearance to saidi teeth and reduce friction as willbennderstoo'd upon reference to Fig. 9. Said teeth are all equidistant from the cen tral. drill andthe saidV drill servesas axcenter support or stay thereto preventing any lat-` eral disarrangement caused by the action of the teeth on a curved surface; Thesockets for said teeth are formed with` tongued or grooved walls, preferably V-shaped asshown in Fig. 3,' and the teeth are correspondingly shaped and held in place by frictiona-l contact.

admitting the insertion ofV alever or punch-A ing tool for drawing or driving out the tooth when broken orrequiring sharpening.

In the cylinder are also holes or openings 6, 6, showniin Figs. 1 and 4. These serve as escapesor clearancesfor the cuttings.

On the cutter shaft, b, 'and within thefsupporting frame isadjustably secured a gearwheel f, adapted to be arranged on said `shaft at more than one pointin its length; Above it is aloose collanf.A On the under side of said gear wheel, is formed ahub,f2, ,which is` slotted on the edge as shown atfa, Fig. 8. The slotted or notched hubis adapted to rest on a pin or` wedge, g, driven through one of a plurality of slots, grooves or openings, f4,- in the shaft and lyinginV the said slots or notchesin the hub. By this arrangement the gear wheel may be readily raised from en i manifest.

gagement with the pin'or wedge by which it is keyed upon the shaft, and the wedge or pin removed and insertedin another of the shaft opcnings,f4, either above or below the one in which it is first placed. Thus should the main pipe be of a size beyond the limits of the feeding mechanisms, the relation of the gear Wheehf, and feed may be quickly and easily readjusted with relation to the shaft as will be understood.

In lieu of the single pin or wedge, g, shown in Fig. 8, I may use sidewedges or pins suol `as are shown in Fig. 1l.

Between the upper and lower portions of the supporting frame, and adapted to rotate in bearings therein,fis.arranged a\shaft,',-car

. rying a pinion k, secured-thereonor m'adeintegral therewith andV meshing wlth the gear wheel f as sh'ownin Figs. 2- and 2a. These pinionsshould be made:V of sufficient length toallow the gear wheel and the shaft to advance as the cutting progresses as will be Surrounding the shaft, b, at itsnpper en'd is an annular elongated sleeve,` fm, having its outer periphery threaded, as atI 'nr/,Fig 2,A so as tofit and turnin the threadedopenin,f ;,01,4J

`in the upper part of the supporting frame and serve as ar feed screw when, drilling or cutting. .This sleevleor feediscrew` isadapted andarranged to have' its lower end res-t` against the top of the collar, f', resting on the gear wheehf, and is providedwitli operatingarnis or handles m4, Figs".- lland 2. The

shaft, or shafts, i, isP also provided with meansr to enable the saine to be turned.- l

` In carrying` the invention, into practice, after the sections of the sleeve `for the main have been adjustedand.firinlysecuredon said main by any desired means, the branch pipe, ),is' properly secured` to` the hub,,B, after having been thoroughly packedto make the joints Water tight. TheV supporting frame of the drilling anddisk-cutting mechanism is then rigidly secured to` the flange on the branch pipe with a water tight packing inter-` posed, or to the intermediate coupling connection, H, when the base of said. frame is either t-oolarge or too small to engage the said branch pipe, the valve orl gate inthe valve chamber, G,- being open to receive o`r admit the passage of the cutting and drilling tools. The said tools are then passedthrough IIO the opening in the valve chamber` until the..

drill and centering tool isbro'ughtinto `proper position on the main pipe.` When a comparatively smalltap is to be made, the gear wheel, j', is brought intoproper.relationwith one pinion and rmly secured onfthe shaft by the pin or Wedge g; The feed screw is then brought down until the lower end rests on the loose collarl on top of the gear wheel, f, and a ratchet lever or any other desired means is applied to the top ofthe drill shaft,- after whichthe drilling commences andthe drill enters the `main before the teeth inserted in the edge of the cylinder and projecting but a little below the same engage the cylindrically convex surface, so that the teeth are held in their annular path and rmly in their sockets without rocking therein. The cutting teeth then engage the cylinder, and the pinions are turned to secure the necessary power.

zWhen the blow-oft cock, 5", is opened, it allows the water in the branch connection to escape and forms a current, the force of which carries away chips and cuttings that may have collected around or inside the cutting cylinder, the said cock thus coacting with the clearance openings in the hollow cylinder. The said blow'off cock, by its peculiar arrangement also shows whether or not the gate is closed tightly after the cutting mechanism has completed its work and before using the tapping mechanism. This blow-oil. cock is arranged in the intermediate coupling, or on other than the branch connection, in order' to be removed from said branch and be used repeatedly and thus save the cost of cocks and fittings. It is placed at a pointoutside of the closed gate to indicate leakage, as above referred to. When the point of the ,drill has passed through the main pipe, the

water that escapes at once passes up around the drill4 and any defect in packing or securing of any portion of the connections will at once be detected and can be remedied before any further cuttingis done. l

' When a large or heavy tap or cut is made, two pinions are employed as shown in Fig. 2, and Athus greater power can be applied to the cutting mechanism as will be manifest, the two, or plurality of, pinions enabling two or a'plurality of men to operate with ease and facility in transmitting power to the cutting cylinder, independent of the operations in connection with the center shaft.

Havingfthus described the invention, what 'I claim as new isy being provided with means for rotating it and moving it longitudinally and the lower end provided with a central longitudinal socket, and the exterior provided with screw threads, a collar secured to the shaft above the screw p threads, a cylindrical cutter head secured to the screwv threaded portion of the shaft, the outer edge of which is provided vwith removable teeth, bolts through the collar and the top of the head and a drill removably secured lwithin the socket in the end of the shaft, sub-` stantially as set forth.

2. In a tapping apparatus for Water gas and other mains, the combination with abranchedI sleeve and a frame secured thereto, ofa shaft f journaled in said frame, the upper end of which is provided with means for rotating it and moving it longitudinally, of a drill and a cylindrical cutter head secured to the opposite end of the shaft, the side wallsfof which cylindrical head are provided with clearance openings and the lower edge is provided withv removable teeth, substantially as set forth.

3. In a 'tapping apparatus, the cylinder and means for rotating it, they former being provided at its projecting edge with cutting teeth and at the sides 'with openings to admit the clearance of cuttings, in combination with a center drill, substantially as herein set forth.

4t.v In a tapping apparatus, the combination of the frame' having central bearings for a shaft, a shaft, sleeve m, aV gear wheel,shafts c', fr', each journaled inthe frame and provided with pinions which engage the gear wheel and with means independent one "of j the other to enable a plurality of men to operate independently in connection with said shafts 1J, c', in turning the pinions, a center drill and a disk cutter all arranged and combined substantially as set forth.

5. In a tapping apparatus, the combination of the frame, shaft having cutting tools, sleeve fm, pinions, and gear Wheel having a notched hub adapted to rest on a pin or keyl` and be vertically removable therefrom, and said pin or key adj ustably secured to the shaft, substantially as set forth.

6. In a tapping apparatus, the combination of the frame,-shaft carryingdisk-cutting tools and having a plurality of slots or openings arranged at different points in the length of said shaft, a pin, wedge or key arranged in one of said slots or openings, a gear wheel IOO key ed on the shaft by said pin, pinions K having means for turning, and feed mechanism,

all arranged and adapted to operate substan- Y atsuitable points in said cylinder clearance openings, and a central drill projecting bc-L yond the'edge of s`aid cylinder and perforatf ing the pipe prior to the engagementV- of the cylinder teeth, substantially as set forth.

8. In a tapping apparatus for water, gas, and other mains, the combination, with a branched sleeve and a pipe section secured thereto, ofa hollow cylindrical cutter within said pipe section, the walls of which are provided with clearance openings and one end with teeth, and means for rotating the cutter, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingI have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of MarchglSQO.

ANTHoNY'P. SMITH.

Witnesses:

OSCAR A. MICHEL, E. L. SHERMAN. 

